Veteran Juanito Rubillar did his best but World Boxing Council light flyweight champion Edgar Sosa of Mexico overcame two cuts on his eyebrows to score a seventh round TKO and retain his title before a huge crowd at the famous Arena in Mexico City.

Rubillar’s manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that Sosa caught Rubillar with a perfect uppercut in the seventh round and went after the Filipino southpaw who was clearly hurt with a barrage of punches forcing referee Laurens to call a halt.

Earlier Elorde said Rubillar was “going for broke” and he was confident the Philippines “will have a new world champion” but it didn’t work out that way as Sosa made the eighth successful defense of his title, beating three Filipinos in the process. He won the vacant title from Hawaii-based Filipino Brian Viloria, successfully defended it against Sonny Boy Jaro in his last fight and now beat Rubillar.

The title shot of Rubillar was in fact his fifth attempt and he himself conceded it was perhaps his last good shot to give the Philippiines a fifth world crown but the precise-punching Sosa who is at his peak according to WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman was really pumped up for the fight.

Elorde said Rubillar who earned the title shot after scoring a split decision win over former champion Omar Nino Romero had breakfast around 7:00 a.m. and they all went to a Catholic church right across the hotel at 9:00 a.m.

Elorde reported that when they checked Rubillar’s weight yesterday he was 126 pounds which means he had put on some 20 pounds since the official weigh-in which is way above the 9 to 10 percent recommended by nutrition experts such as Dra. Sanirose Orbeta. Rubillar weighed 105.8 pounds in the official weigh in while Sosa came in two pounds heavier at 107.8.

However, Elorde said Rubillar who was in good condition after training for three months for the title fight “put up a good fight” until he got tagged. .

Journalist Rey Danseco who was one of the judges for the Rubillar-Sosa title fight said it was a vicious shot to the liver similar to the punch with which Gerry Penalosa dropped Jhonny Gonzalez to win the WBO bantamweight crown that ended Rubillar’s game challenge.

Danseco said that all three judges including himself had Sosa ahead on their scorecards at the time of the stoppage. Danseco’s scorecard was 58-55, the Mexican judge 59-54 while the American scored the fight a shutout for Sosa, the hometown boy.

WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman congratulated Danseco after the fight and embraced him for what he termed was his fairness which meant that although our fighter lost the Philippines won additional respect for fairness in judging.

Top photo: Mexican WBC lightfly champion Edgar Sosa (L) connects to the body of Filipino challenger Juanito Rubillar during their title fight yesterday at Arena Mexico in Mexico City. Photo courtesy of BoxNoticias.